December 2008 Archives

Education may have been lower than saving the giant African bat on the national political stage during the presidential election, but Alyson and I still managed to cobble together a list of the Top 10 education political moments of 2008:

10. Portfolio-gate -- the shortest lived "-gate" in history.

9. John McCain calls running mate Sarah Palin a national expert on autism, even though her son, Trig, has a different developmental disability. (To be fair, some folks suggested he was referring to her nephew, who does have autism.)

8. The AFT's Randi Weingarten gets "really pissed" at Democrats for Education Reform during the convention.

7. John McCain, in his most substantive speech about education, says he'll seek school choice for "all who want it." Translation: His plan called for a continuation of the existing District of Columbia voucher program, or choice for a few extra thousand kids in Washington, D.C.

6. EdWeek appears in an attack ad against Obama, implying that we reported that Obama supports sex ed for kindergartners. For the record, we didn't report that.

5. Bill Ayers comes out with a crystal clear statement describing his interactions with Obama—after the campaign was over.

4. Barack Obama dares to suggest that he might support vouchers if that's what's best for kids. Then he takes it back when it turns out he's in a contested Democratic primary and some people don't like to hear that.

3. After longing for a substantive exchange on school issues, education finally comes up as the very last question during the very last debate. Better late than never.

2. Obama appoints his b-ball buddy Arne Duncan to head up the department of education, leaving edubloggers with nothing but the federal budget to write about.

1. $60 million buys you:
a.) Mission accomplished or b.) Mouthing platitudes?

Posted by Michele McNeil at 3:35 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend

If appointed to the Senate, Caroline Kennedy has said she would like to be involved in the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act, which her uncle, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, helped to champion, according to a story that ran this weekend in the New York Times.

In case you hadn't heard, Kennedy is hoping to take over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's seat, if, as expected, Clinton becomes President-elect Obama's Secretary of State.

In their story, The Times reporters who interviewed her seem to think that she dodged questions about teacher tenure and merit pay, but reading over the transcript of their interview, she sounds to me like basically any other Democrat in Washington these days as they try to navigate those sticky subjects.

The Times reporters asked Kennedy what she thought of DC chancellor Michelle Rhee's plan to offer teachers the opportunity to earn more money in exchange for giving up tenure. Here was her response:

CK: I think it has to be done, you know, collaboratively with the teachers and with the union. I think here the school-wide bonuses that we gave, here, that we’ve done with the union and the city — I mean, that is, I think, a good model. There’ve been — Arne Duncan, the new Secretary of Education, incoming, has worked with the union and I think that the reform efforts that they’ve made over time will yield benefits in terms of student achievements. So if you just pick out the most controversial one as a stand-alone thing, you know, I don’t think that’s really the way to go about this. I think if people can vote it’ll be really interesting to see what happens. I think there’s a lot of experimentation going on around the country that we should pay attention to. But here, I think these bonuses that are shared schoolwide give everyone in the leadership team incentive in the school to work together to raise the kids’, you know, achievement, and I think that’s going to be an interesting thing to see how that works. And the schools, you know, have almost all signed up for it.

And on NCLB, Kennedy said, "I think there’s also a lot of problems with test scores, and so, you know, I think we need to give the schools the flexibility. There’s too much reliance on these, you know, NAEP tests."

Sounds to me like she's taking her cues from Obama on testing generally - but I wish The Times reporters had pressed her a bit on her take on NAEP.

Students have to take the NAEP tests, but states aren't held accountable for the results, at all, just for how they do on their own exams. So it's hard to say that the law relies too much on the NAEP results. The law doesn't seem to rely on them at all - to the chagrin of a lot of folks in the education reform camp who say many state tests aren't nearly as rigorous as NAEP.

President Bush and Secretary Spellings have cited rising scores on some NAEP tests in defending the NCLB law, though many question their conclusion that NCLB is a major factor in those gains. Maybe Kennedy's saying that standardized tests, including the NAEP, don't provide an accurate picture of student achievement? Or maybe she just doesn't understand the relatively limited role of NAEP tests in the law.

Kennedy was also asked about her role in coming to work in the New York Department of Education under Chancellor Joel Klein. It sounds like Bill Gates asked her to stay on and help oversee how a grant his foundation financed for the city school system.

Still, Kennedy's ties to Klein may not win her many supporters among teachers unions, who have sometimes clashed with the chancellor. That could be viewed as a point of contrast with the woman Kennedy is seeking to replace. Hillary Clinton, appears to have a warm relationship with Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, which endorsed her in the primary.

Posted by Alyson Klein at 3:00 PM | Permalink | 2 Comments | Recommend

Consider this an e-stocking stuffer from those of us at Campaign K-12, who pass along the following good tidbits to tide you over during the holiday season:

Much has been made of a split among Democrats on education policy, but is there a schism on the right, too? Ponder this at Flypaper.

A member of Obama's agency review team on education tells a higher education publication that Linda Darling-Hammond, if she wants to, will either have a key role in the White House or in the Ed Department.

Will Obama's stimulus package mean tidings of good cheer for schools? Maybe, writes Campaign K-12's Alyson Klein, who explains that many educators want more than just money for school construction and broadband access.

And lest you think state legislators are only concerned about growing unemployment, declining tax revenues, budget cuts, and a home foreclosure crisis, never fear: two Nevada legislators are working on a bill to name an official state insect. Fourth-graders may get to do the honors.

Posted by Michele McNeil at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Not to throw cold water on the education secretary naming party, but did anyone else see that yesterday—while Obama was talking up the benefits of a longer school day and teacher quality during the Arne Duncan announcement—the governor of Alabama was taking steps to cut K-12 education funding by 9 percent? NINE PERCENT!

That cut ranks as the biggest Alabama's seen in public school funding in half a century, and surely it's the most severe the country has seen this year. Alabama is only the most recent example of a state so deep in deficit that its governor has been forced to cut public school spending amid the national recession. It wasn't the first state, and won't be the last either. You can't achieve 9 percent in savings by shutting off the lights at night, or cutting back on pens and pencils. These kinds of cuts are significant and will undoubtedly mean teacher layoffs and deep cuts in other education programs. (UPDATE: You can follow the financial crisis, and how it's affecting schools, at EdWeek's special collections page on the topic.)

Certainly, tough times and budget cuts can spur leaders to come up with innovative solutions to boost student achievement in spite of it all. Maybe some legislators will warm up to the idea of private-school vouchers. (Okay, that might be a stretch.) Nevertheless, the Florida Legislature's research arm declared this week that the state's corporate tax-credit scholarship program saved the state nearly $40 million last school year.

The bottom line is state education funding is going to be hit, and hit hard during this downturn, and that's surely going to alter the education reform dynamic at local, state, and federal levels.

Posted by Michele McNeil at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Rep. Peter Hoekstra of Michigan reportedly won't run for re-election in 2010. Apparently, the Republican is mulling a run for governor of the Wolverine State.

Hoekstra has long been one of the most vocal opponents on the House Education and Labor Committee—and in Congress—of the No Child Left Behind Act's expansion of federal power over public schools. Last year, he introduced a bill that would have permitted states to opt out of NCLB's accountability requirements and managed to get more than 60 co-sponsors, including the incoming Republican whip, Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia.

Looks like the scale-back-the-federal-role crowd will need a new champion after 2010. But, judging from that lengthy list of co-sponsors of Hoekstra's bill, there are plenty of potential takers.

Posted by Alyson Klein at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Edweek.org is hosting an online chat today about Arne Duncan's selection as Obama's education secretary. Yours truly is moderating, and as our guests, we have the esteemed Ricks: Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute and Rick Kahlenberg, an author and a senior fellow at Education Sector.

The chat is from 11 a.m. to noon Eastern Standard Time, and all you need is your computer to follow along. To submit questions, go here, or to follow along during the chat, visit this page. There will also be a transcript available shortly after.

Posted by Michele McNeil at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

My colleague, Catherine Gewertz, covers Chicago Public Schools as part of EdWeek's urban beat, and has been talking to folks all day about Arne Duncan's selection as President-elect Barack Obama's secretary of education, and what it means for federal education policy. There's a bigger EdWeek story that's forthcoming. What follows is a sampling of reaction she's hearing.

Michael Klonsky, a longtime Chicago activist and the director of the Small Schools Workshop, praised Mr. Duncan's support of small schools in the city. But he also said he has been concerned that as part of the work of growing the small-school concept there, Mr. Duncan has helped fuel a trend toward using private companies to manage schools. He said he has also been troubled that Mr. Duncan and Mayor Richard M. Daley have eliminated local school councils at some schools, making it harder for parents and the public to influence and access the goings-on at their schools.

"I am hopeful that once he is out from under the thumb of Mayor Daley and the political machine here, and is working with Obama's people, who I like and respect, Duncan can be liberated to do the things that I know are in his heart as a democratic educator," said Klonsky, who has helped incubate small schools in Chicago and elsewhere. "He can be a great spokesman for urban public education, even more now on a national scene where he's not chained to the ideology of the political machine here. I don't think Arne is an ideologue. He's a pragmatist at heart and a democrat."

Julie Woestehoff, the executive director of Parents United for Responsible Education, said that Mr. Duncan's temperament lends itself to his new position. But she also cautioned people to look at Chicago's success from all angles. "So much of what is happening in Chicago is around test prep," she said. "Every teacher in Chicago will say they feel their entire job is test prep. The reality has been that [school] closures have been chaotic and disruptive and have harmed children. And the replacement schools have really not proven themselves to be much different from the schools they replaced. We don't think the result is worth the uproar."

Meanwhile, the Chicago Teachers Union has released its statement: “Since becoming CEO of the Chicago Public Schools, Arne Duncan has grown in his awareness of the problems facing America’s public education system, especially the conditions existing in large urban settings such as Chicago. With this background, he is well positioned to assume a national role in addressing the many issues that affect the day-to-day teaching of our nation’s school children."

Posted by Michele McNeil at 3:25 PM | Permalink | 5 Comments | Recommend

Just a few minutes ago, President-elect Obama officially tapped Chicago Public Schools Superintendent Arne Duncan as the next education secretary.

In listening to his remarks, it's clear that Obama wants a no-excuses leader who isn't afraid to make tough choices to increase student achievement. Obama, as part of his announcement today in Chicago, touted Duncan's on-the-ground experience making those tough decisions:

When faced with tough decisions, Arne doesn’t blink. He’s not beholden to any one ideology – and he doesn’t hesitate for one minute to do what needs to be done. He’s worked tirelessly to improve teacher quality, increasing the number of master teachers who’ve completed a rigorous national certification process from 11 to just shy of 1,200, and rewarding school leaders and teachers for gains in student achievement. He’s championed good charter schools – even when it was controversial. He’s shut down failing schools and replaced their entire staffs – even when it was unpopular.

Clearly, Duncan is widely respected for his reform ideas and strategy at the district level. But the education secretary job is very different. He'll have to figure out how to bring his ideas to scale, working as part of an incredible bureaucracy that, in the end, is only responsible for about 9 percent of K-12 education funding.

Posted by Michele McNeil at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Another education reformer, who has graced magazine covers, is on NPR's Diane Rehm show now. Listen to the conversation with Washington D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee here.

Here's what Rhee had to say when Rehm asked her about the choice of Arne Duncan as education secretary:

One of the biggest advantages to a Mr. Duncan being the new secretary is the fact that he has been an urban superintendent for many years now...so he understands firsthand the challenges we face in running school districts, some of the tweaks that need to be made with No Child Left Behind, etcetera. So from that vantage point, because he has that experience coming in, he is going to run that department in a way that will have, you know, good positive ramifications on the ground level, at the school level.

Posted by Michele McNeil at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

The Chicago-area media, bloggers, and educators may know Arne Duncan best, so I've summed up their coverage below:

The Chicago Tribune notes that Obama didn't let the Illinois corruption scandal with Gov. Rod Blagojevich get in the way of Duncan's pick. The article describes Duncan as a "renegade" who backed such ideas as boarding schools and a gay-friendly high school. And the writer reminds us that all is not rosy—that a glaring achievement gap still exists.

The Chicago Sun-Times, in a commentary, says Duncan earned his stripes in Chicago. Meanwhile, Sun-Times reporter and blogger Lynn Sweet says Duncan had well-connected boosters within the Obama inner circle.

Chicago's NPR station talks to a former city teachers' union president, who isn't as effusive in her praise as others seem to be.

Catalyst Chicago details Duncan's track record, with a healthy, skeptical eye, especially toward high school reform efforts. Duncan gets high marks for making public a "treasure trove" of student data, but is dinged for not being more transparent on CPS spending.

Phyllis Lockett, President & CEO of The Renaissance Schools Fund, the
strategic partner to the Chicago Public Schools for Renaissance 2010, said in a statement:

Under Arne Duncan's leadership, the Chicago Public Schools district has
pursued an unprecedented effort to open new schools of exceptional
quality in our highest need communities. Arne had the courage to close
schools that were not performing, and has helped to develop a pipeline
of strong education entrepreneurs in Chicago. He is an innovator and
his leadership has encouraged Chicago's business community to invest
significant resources in new schools development.

Posted by Michele McNeil at 9:32 AM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend

Arne Duncan talks about his mom's afterschool program, how basketball skills translate to leadership skills, and what his school reform strategy is. The video below is courtesy of Edutopia, the George Lucas Educational Foundation, and was posted Dec. 4, 2008:

Posted by Michele McNeil at 9:02 AM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend

Even before President-elect Obama makes Arne Duncan's selection as education secretary official, early reaction around the blogsphere is very positive. A sampling:

"Golden era for charter schools"—Over at Flypaper, Mike Petrilli has five interesting observations about Duncan: that his selection is good for charter and private schools but bad for governors (although I might have to quibble with his assertion that the era of gubernatorial leadership in education is over). Meanwhile, Checker Finn's first observations are that he's a terrific pick.

"Who would replace Arne?"—Wonder folks in Chicago, including Alexander Russo, who also details Duncan's strengths and weaknesses. Among his strengths: improved test scores, great public-speaking ability, and the kind of staying power a lot of other urban sups don't have. Among his weaknesses: Hasn't been a candidate for the Broad Prize and failed to win concessions from the Chicago Teachers Union.

"A relief to Linda Darling-Hammond"—Diane Ravitch notes this at Bridging Differences, referring to the editorial page firestorm that's been raging over LDH, Obama's main education transition point person.

"A fan" of NCLB—So says our own David Hoff.

Posted by Michele McNeil at 8:12 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Arne Duncan, the chief executive of the Chicago school system and a basketball buddy of Barack Obama's, is the president-elect's pick for secretary of education, according to sources.

As Chicago schools CEO, Duncan tapped a panel to craft curriculum-based assessments to guide teaching, bolstered spending on anti-violence prevention measures, and tested out a program allowing teachers to evaluate one another.

Duncan supports the basic framework of the No Child Left Behind Act. In testimony before a congressional committee in 2006, he called on lawmakers to "maintain the law's high expectations and accountability" but to amend the law "to give schools, districts, and states the maximum amount of flexibility possible."

Duncan helped get a federal waiver allowing the Chicago school sytem to offer tutoring services mandated for students in struggling schools under the NCLB law, something it was not otherwise eligible to do because the district as a whole had not made adequate progress under Illinois benchmarks.

Duncan may also help the bridge the divide over education in the Democratic Party. He was the recommended choice for education secretary of Democrats for Education Reform and has won praise from American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten.

Posted by Alyson Klein at 6:40 PM | Permalink | 3 Comments | Recommend

We've heard from one source that Arne Duncan, the CEO of Chicago's public schools, will be announced on Tuesday as President-elect Barack Obama's pick for secretary of education.

UPDATE: The New York Times has confirmed this as well.

Posted by Alyson Klein at 5:29 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend

But will he reveal the identity of the next secretary of education?

President-elect Barack Obama is holding a press conference tomorrow morning at 10:45 central time at the Dodge Renaissance Academy, a preK-8 school in Chicago.

Sounds like a prime venue to announce the next secretary of education, one of the major cabinet posts he has yet to fill. Michele e-mailed an Obama spokesman to find out if it's the education secretary announcement. He said he "can't confirm" it.

Chicago Schools Chief Executive Officer Arne Duncan is said to be on the short list for that position. Could going to a school under his jurisdiction mean that he's the pick?

Also, last week, Linda Darling-Hammond, the top education adviser for Obama's transition team, told me that there may be an announcement on what the incoming administration would like included in the stimulus package next week. So, maybe this is an announcement that Obama will seek more money for teacher training or schools in the package?

It's worth nothing that Dodge Renaissance Academy participates in a teacher-residency program, which allows prospective teachers to work alongside veteran mentors while earning their certification. It's a model for teaching training that Obama has embraced and made part of his stump speech during the campaign. The site choice shows his continued commitment to them. I'd be pretty surprised if Obama doesn't mention the residency program in announcement tomorrow ... whatever it may be.

Posted by Alyson Klein at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

School administrators have identified about $11 billion in ready-to-go construction projects should Congress pass a federal stimulus package focused on infrastructure.

The survey of nearly 800 administrators in 48 states, conducted by the American Association of School Administrators and released today, found that school districts also want to use one-time money for instructional materials—particularly classroom technology.

Missouri and Illinois identified the most projects, at 244 and 103 respectively, while Louisiana and New Mexico didn't report any ready-to-go projects.

But when and if schools will get to fulfill these wishes is another story. Congress—and governors—are working on laying the groundwork for a stimulus package so it's ready when President-elect Obama takes office.

Posted by Michele McNeil at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

From guest blogger David J. Hoff:

Word from sources in Denver is that FBI agents are in town are starting to vet the Denver Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet, and that Bennet traveled to Washington this week. The assumption is that he’s in the running to be named secretary of education, as Jonathan Alter reported in Newsweek.

And other sources who have talked to Arne Duncan say the Chicago schools CEO has talked to the Obama team about the job, even though Duncan didn't acknowledge the talks when asked about it at an event in Chicago Thursday with Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times (thanks to Alexander Russo for the link). The FBI is starting to vet him as well, the source says.

John Podesta, the transition's honcho, has said that all Cabinet posts will be announced by Christmas. There’s a good chance we'll know the nominee for education secretary by the end of next week.

Will it be Duncan, Bennet, or a stealth candidate?

Posted by at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Last Friday, both The Washington Post and The New York Times ran editorials or op-eds criticizing Stanford education professor Linda Darling-Hammond as a possible choice for a high-level position in the Obama administration, such as Secretary of Education or even Deputy Secretary.

And today there was yet another editorial in the Los Angeles Times that blasted Darling-Hammond, while urging the "accountability" camp in the Democratic party to acknowledge the short-comings of the No Child Left Behind Act. (It looks like Darling-Hammond's detractors have some high-level contacts in the opinion writing world, while Darling-Hammond's supporters are good petitioners).

This week, Darling-Hammond and her fans struck back.

Yesterday the Washington Post ran this letter-to-the-editor from Sam Chaltain of the Forum for Education and Democracy. And Mike Petrilli, over at Flypaper, wrote a response to it.

And today, Darling-Hammond had her own letter in the Times.

She writes:

Since I entered teaching, I have fought to change the status quo that routinely delivers dysfunctional schools and low-quality teaching to students of color in low-income communities. I have challenged inequalities in financing. I have helped develop new school models through both district-led innovations and charters. And I have worked to create higher standards for both students and teachers, along with assessments that measure critical thinking and performance.

And this op-ed showed up today in Darling-Hammond's hometown paper, the San Francisco Chronicle.

Posted by Alyson Klein at 1:39 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Here's some potentially good news for cash-strapped school districts: It looks like Congress is going to work on a real, honest-to-goodness budget for education in fiscal year 2009, which actually began back on Oct.1.

In September, Congress passed a measure extending funding for most federal programs—including education—at fiscal year 2008 levels until March to avoid a repeat of last year's showdown with President Bush.

It even looked like lawmakers were just going to pass another extension covering the rest of fiscal 2009, then get to working on the fiscal 2010 budget, which will be the first proposed by the incoming Obama administration.

But that would have meant that education programs such as Title I wouldn't see any sort of increase. They would just get the same amount as the year before ($13.9 billion in the case of that program). Most education groups really hate budget extensions because they believe such measures basically amount to a cut, since inflation and rising enrollment mean that the same amount of money doesn't go as far.

But now, I've heard from a spokeswoman for the House Appropriations Committee that there's likely to be a regular budget for education this year. Which means schools might actually see some sort of increase for major programs.

The House and Senate appropriations committees, which oversee all federal spending, have already gotten started on their bills, both of which included modest increases for Title I and for students in special education.

You can read Edweek's stories on those measures (which centered around the decision to provide absolutely no funding for Reading First). Also, the folks in the Department of Education's budget office do a great job of tracking what's going on on the Hill. You can check out their budget tables here.

Posted by Alyson Klein at 12:10 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend

Cash-strapped school districts may see an infusion of federal aid in a sweeping stimulus package being crafted by Congress and President-elect Barack Obama.

But it isn't clear yet whether the measure will contain dollars earmarked specifically for K-12 schools in the form of, say, more Title I or special education money, or more general aid to states that would help protect districts from massive budget cuts.

Three governors—Jon Corzine of New Jersey, a Democrat; James E. Doyle of Wisconsin, a Democrat; and Jim Douglas of Vermont, Republican—testified before the House Appropriations Committee today on the need for state aid so that there aren't massive to cuts to programs, including K-12 education. They talked a lot about school construction, which Mr. Obama highlighted in his radio address over the weekend, and money to improve math and science education, at least partly through expanded broadband Internet access.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, D-Fla., said schools in her congressional district are facing potential hiring freezes and possible layoffs of teachers. She asked the governors how Congress could help with schools' operating costs.

Doyle said money for states, and particularly for the Medicaid program, would help states spare K-12 education. But Corzine said he'd like to see "some kind of block grant," possibly geared just for schools.

"Count two for that plan," Wasserman-Schultz said. "I coudn't agree with you more."

It also looks like funding for Pell Grants and other federal student aid has a good shot of making it into the stimulus bill. In addition to the governors, the committee heard from Sandy Baum, a national expert on student financial aid who consults for the College Board.

Baum said demand for higher education has increased because of the slowing economy, and she urged lawmakers to make college aid a "clear focus" of the stimulus package.

Her comments were pretty predictable, but what's notable is that Baum was on a pretty short list of experts testifying on a spending package that could cost more than a trillion dollars and touch on everything from energy to health care to transportation. The fact that the committee included her on the witness list that had three governors and just two other experts says a lot about college aid's chances in the bill.

Posted by Alyson Klein at 3:56 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend

Never fear. Last week, Bill Ayers wrote an op-ed piece for the New York Times about his time with the Weather Underground. And in it, the University of Illinois, Chicago education prof reiterates claims that he wasn't a close associate of President-elect Obama's.

This morning, the post's Charles Lane has a response, focusing on Ayers' unwillingness to say in the editorial that the Weather Underground's activities were politically unproductive—not to mention dangerous.

Posted by Alyson Klein at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

This morning I attended a meeting organized by the National League of Cities for education policy of staff of big city mayors. The session focused on next steps for the incoming administration and Congress, and was "on background" for reporters, meaning that I can't give names of the people who spoke.

The mayoral staff heard from a representative of the Obama transition team. The group is tight-lipped about its next steps and in a "listen-only" mode for the most part when it comes to communicating with education organizations. The representative gave little indication of what the Obama administration's first moves will be once it takes office. But the representative did solicit ideas from the group.

The city folks expressed interest in dropout prevention programs and money for career and technical education, among other programs. And they wanted to know what education programs would be included in the pending economic stimulus package, and how the school facilities program President-elect Obama mentioned this weekend will be structured.

The transition team official wasn't allowed to answer those questions. But he said their suggestions would be posted on change.gov., along with other groups' proposals. I'm guessing it will go in this section, which seems to be emerging as a clearinghouse of ideas for the new administration on public policy problems, coming from major business, professional associations, and even high school students.

The mayors' staff also heard from an education advocate who has had several meetings with the transition team. She said they have getting a lot of feedback on the new Title I regulations, particularly on graduation rates. Some organizations would like to see them scrapped, others are hoping they'll stay in place.

Transition team members are also thinking a lot about the future of Reading First, the advocate said, and don't want to see the federal government get out of the business of improving literacy. It sounds like there will, eventually, be something to succeed the reading program that Obama strategist David Axelrod referred to as a "boondoggle." But we don't know yet what that will be or when it will emerge.

And the advocate guessed that Congress will likely tackle expanding pre-K or higher education before it get to No Child Left Behind reauthorization.

Democratic congressional staff who also attended the event were optimistic that Congress can finish reauthorization during the next two years. One aide said she saw a good deal of bipartisan consensus building on various aspects of NCLB, including the need to expand charter schools. She said charters might be the subject of a hearing in the House early next year on NCLB. I don't think the committee has looked at charters in depth since Democrats won the majority. So that should be interesting.

And another aide suggested that the federal Department of Education may take a broader role going forward in providing incentives for districts innovate and facilitating discussions. The aide mentioned Obama's innovation districts bill, introduced when he was in the Senate.

The congressional staffers said it's still unclear just which education programs will wind up in the stimulus, although they mentioned some of the ideas that Obama has already talked about publicly, including school facilities and expanding schools' access to broadband.

But it sounded like they are talking with the transition team. And they're hearing from a number of groups who want to get money for other programs in what's likely to be a costly, sweeping bill touching on many aspects of the federal government. In addition to school construction, education groups would like to see money for pre-K, Title I, Pell Grants, teacher training, and especially, money for students in special education.

For all you cash-strapped school finance officers out there, it's worth noting that even if Congress doesn't provide specific funding for some of those programs, it may provide billions in relief directly to states, which could then pass it to struggling school districts.

Posted by Alyson Klein at 4:20 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

From guest blogger David J. Hoff:

Michael Bennet is the latest to have his name surface as a potential secretary of education. Jonathan Alter mentioned the Denver superintendent in his Newsweek column about Bill Gates using his philanthropic efforts to influence national and federal K-12 policy.

Bennet is one of three urban superintendents who "would suit Gates and other reform-minded philanthropists just fine," Alter writes. Chicago's Arne Duncan and New Orleans' Paul Vallas are the others, but New York City's Joel Klein is an unlikely pick because of his strained relationship with AFT President Randi Weingarten, Alter says.

"I have my money on Bennet, whose new compensation system is popular with Denver teachers, if not the union," Alter writes parenthetically.

The Denver media jumped on Alter's article as an indication that Bennet might get the job. (See here and here.) If you read closely, though, Alter doesn't provide a source within the transition team saying that Bennet is under consideration, or that Klein is not. Maybe Alter has good sources in the Obama camp and has decided to be coy. Or maybe he doesn't.

We'll see if Bennet's name rises in Mike Petrilli's daily poll of Washington insiders. But the Washington insiders aren't making the pick. A small group in Chicago is. And so, far its members are playing this one close to the vest.

Posted by at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

The Illinois Education Association is calling for Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich to resign after the governor and his chief of staff, John Harris, were arrested this morning on corruption and bribery charges.

The Democratic governor allegedly tried to benefit financially from the pending appointment of the Senate seat recently vacated by President-elect Barack Obama, according one of a number of accusations included in the FBI's 78-page indictment. Blagojevich has sole authority to select Obama's replacement.

In a statement on the matter released today the teachers' union said:

We are appalled by the allegations found in the complaint against Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Illinois has serious problems that can only be addressed by leaders who command respect. We urge Gov. Blagojevich to resign immediately. We also support the immediate commencement of impeachment proceedings against the governor.

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, also a Democrat, would take over Blagojevich's spot if the governor resigns or is forced from office.

If Blagojevich is ousted from his post because of the allegations, it doesn't sound like education organizations in the state will miss him much.

"According to our members it would not be a huge blow," said Ben Schwarm, an associate executive director for the Illinois Association of School Boards. He said some districts had been angry with Blagojevich for his refusal to support a dedicated funding mechanism for education, although he did acknowledge that schools had gotten spending increases during the governor's tenure.

Ken Swanson, the president of the IEA, agreed that Blagojevich had been "a roadblock" to educators' push to get a designated revenue source for schools. The union endorsed neither the governor nor his opponent during Blagojevich's 2006 re-election bid.

Blagojevich is known more for his work on health care than on education. As governor, he promoted the concept of universal pre-K, although the state never provided enough funding for it. And he helped champion new high school graduation standards that required students to take an extra year each of math, science, English, and writing. He also fought to appoint political allies to the State Board of Education.

The indictment also accuses Blagojevich of threatening to withhold state assistance from the Tribune Company, which publishes the Chicago Tribune, unless the newspaper's editorial board fired members who had been critical of the governor. He is accused of specifically singling out John McCormick, the paper's deputy editorial page editor, who remains employed by Tribune.

And the indictment mentions Blagojevich's association with Chicago businessman and political fundraiser Antonin "Tony" Rezko, whose name became infamous nationally during the presidential campaign because of his ties to Obama. Rezko was convicted on corruption charges in June. One of the prosecution's witnesses in that trial was attorney Stuart Levine, sits on the board of the state Teachers Retirement System and allegedly steered its investments to Rezko's preferred businesses.

Posted by Alyson Klein at 3:20 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend

From guest blogger David J. Hoff:

AFT President Randi Weingarten wants to take Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's place in the Senate, the New York Daily News reports. She's got tough competition from a host New York pols and Caroline Kennedy.

But Weingarten does have a few arguments for her candidacy. She'd be an historic pick as the first openly gay member of the U.S. Senate, and she's got connections to New York Gov. David Paterson. Plus, Paterson could choose Weingarten to mollify teachers' complaints about his education budget proposals, New York suggests.

Weingarten didn't deny interest in a statement to the Daily News. We're awaiting a statement from her staff.

Posted by at 1:40 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend

In our story about the transition this week, David, Michele and I mention a meeting among the Obama transition officials and some education groups, including the Learning First Alliance, which includes major education groups representing teachers, school board members, and school executives. They talked about federal spending on education and the effects of the recent economic meltdown on schools.

I also heard that in that meeting the transition team was curious about what kinds of federal research projects would be useful for states and educators. In his campaign education proposal, Obama pledged to double spending on education research and development by the end of his first term. You can read his most recent education proposal, which doesn't specifically mention research, here.

It's tough to say whether the financial resources will be available for that kind of investment, but obviously, research is on the transition team's radar screen.

And education researchers may prove central to some of the major education policy questions the Obama administration will have to address, including how to improve assessments used under the No Child Left Behind Act (something Obama talked a lot about on the campaign trail). And the Bush administration’s Reading First program looks as if it’s going to be eliminated in fiscal 2009, so research may play a key role in defining what type of program replaces it.”(For more background on Reading First, take a look at this story).

Posted by Alyson Klein at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

So today I caught up with Linda Darling-Hammond, the Stanford education professor who is heading up President elect-Obama's education policy transition team, after she gave a speech on teacher professional development at the National Staff Development Council's conference in Maryland.

Darling-Hammond was apparently not permitted to discuss the transition in any specificity, so she couldn't tell me who was being considered for Education Secretary, when that appointment would be announced, or whether she would be taking any position in the new administration.

I also asked her about any forthcoming money for K-12 programs. It looks like school facilities are likely to be part of an economic stimulus package that Obama is hoping to pass when he comes into office. But many folks around Washington are hoping for some help for many more education programs, everything Title I money for disadvantaged students to Pell Grants to service learning to pre-K.

Again, Darling-Hammond wasn't able to get into detail, but she did say there would be more information available next week, and that "Clearly education is at the table." So...take from that what you will.

During the conference, Darling-Hammond also gave an extensive presentation on how teacher professional development needs to be improved that gave some indication of where she might try to take federal policy if she lands a spot in the White House or at the Department of Education. She talked about the need for greater mentoring for novice teachers, time in the school day for teachers to be able to collaborate with one another, and for schools to offer meaningful assessments based on higher level-thinking skills.

My colleague, Stephen Sawchuk, will have much more detail over at Teacher Beat.

Posted by Alyson Klein at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

This weekend, President-elect Barack Obama outlined his plan to build "21st century" schools and expand broadband access. He argues that improving school infrastructure is a win-win that can help strengthen the economy by creating jobs, while bolstering student learning and helping the U.S. stay economically competitive over the long haul.

Obama didn't offer any dollar amounts or substantive details about how the plan would be structured. But Rep. George Miller, the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, may have laid some of the groundwork with a "green schools" bill he championed earlier this year. That legislation passed the House, but wasn't taken up in the Senate.

Congress is aiming to put together a stimulus package for Obama to sign shortly after he takes office next month. The President-elect's high profile support for school facilities means they're likely to be included in the measure. In addition to improving student learning and helping to create jobs, proponents of the plan will probably contend that making schools "greener" can help districts save money on energy costs down the road.

But look for possible opponents of the plan — perhaps including many conservative Republicans — to argue that the federal government already has many commitments to schools that are going underfunded, including money for disadvantaged kids and for students in special education.

And they may argue that the government and school districts could get more bag for their buck from the construction projects if they suspend Davis-Bacon, a federal labor law that specifies how much workers on federally-funded projects get paid. My guess is those arguments won't get much traction in a Democratic Congress.

Here's an excerpt from Obama's speech. You can read the rest at the transition team's Web site.

My economic recovery plan will launch the most sweeping effort to modernize and upgrade school buildings that this country has ever seen. We will repair broken schools, make them energy-efficient, and put new computers in our classrooms. Because to help our children compete in a 21st century economy, we need to send them to 21st century schools.

As we renew our schools and highways, we’ll also renew our information superhighway. It is unacceptable that the United States ranks 15th in the world in broadband adoption. Here, in the country that invented the internet, every child should have the chance to get online, and they’ll get that chance when I’m President – because that’s how we’ll strengthen America’s competitiveness in the world.

Posted by Alyson Klein at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

From guest blogger David J. Hoff:

David Brooks writes today about the fight between the self-proclaimed "reformers" against their rivals in the teachers' unions and the rest of education establishment. After fighting over policy priorities during the presidential campaign, the two sides are now trying to influence President-elect Barack Obama's choice to be secretary of education.

Reformers want an aggressive change agent (think Joel I. Klein of New York City or Michelle Rhee of D.C.). The Washington Post editorial board agrees with them.

Unions and others are pushing for someone whose work centers around improving the current system from within (one of their allies—Stanford University professor Linda Darling-Hammond—is leading the policy review for the transition). Brooks also says Obama could pick a governor and make Darling-Hammond the deputy secretary—something he says "might be the biggest setback for reform" because Darling-Hammond would be in charge of policy.

The solution, Brooks suggests, is to pick Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan. His accomplishments match those of Klein and Rhee, but his policies would be acceptable with their detractors.

It all makes sense. I've written something like that myself. See here and here.

But I'm beginning to wonder if Duncan will be the choice. He has been the front runner for the job. But it's a month after the election, and there's no indication that he'll get the job. By comparison, Tom Daschle was considered a natural pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. His selection has been widely reported for two weeks and he's doing high-profile events on behalf of the transition.

If Arne Duncan were the choice to be education secretary, he'd be doing something other than having coffee with Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and planning events related to his current job.

Duncan still may be Obama's pick for education secretary. But I'm prepared to be surprised.

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And those on the Ed Sec watch read their tea-leaves.

Arne Duncan, the schools chief in Chicago and President-elect Obama's informal adviser and basketball buddy, has frequently been mentioned a possible pick for Secretary of Education. He and Secretary Spellings apparently had coffee this morning.

So was Secretary Spellings giving him advice?

No, Duncan told the Associated Press. Apparently it was just a social call. They worked together to plan an event in Chicago next week.

My guess is that the meeting between Duncan and Spellings may seem like more than what it was. If Duncan was meeting with Obama, his incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, or transition team honcho John Podesta, it would be more indicative that he's about to take on a cabinet position.

The AP story also mentions a couple of education secretary possibilities I hadn't heard yet, including Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, who was a co-chairman of the Aspen Institute's Commission on the Future of No Child Left Behind.

My guess? Not Barnes. The Aspen report's emphasis on upping the ante on accountability, including voluntary national standards and data systems to measure teacher effectiveness probably tilts him too far in one direction in a Democratic party divided over how to proceed on the NCLB law.

Kaine is an intriguing possibility. Right now, he is the chair of the Southern Regional Education Board. As governor of Virginia, he has worked to expand pre-kindergarten classes, bring teacher salaries up to the national average and raise the quality of the state’s career and technical programs, according to SREB. And I've heard he's really passionate about education and gets the issues. He was an early Obama supporter—and rumored vice presidential pick. But it's hard to say if he's seriously in contention—or if some folks out there just wish he was.

UPDATE: Looks like Kaine isn't interested in the job after all.

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Elizabeth Evans, the executive director of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools, seems to be a casting a "no" vote for Arne Duncan as ed secretary.

Her plea for Duncan to stay in Chicago illustrates that as Obama picks the best and brightest for his cabinet, those folks leave behind a big void that will have to be filled. On the education front, Obama's pick of Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano for the homeland security cabinet post leaves one of the biggest voids so far.

Posted by Michele McNeil at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

So it looks like school districts with crumbling infrastructures can look forward to an infusion of federal funds in the economic-stimulus package, which Congress is likely to approve in January.

President-elect Barack Obama's incoming chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, told reporters on a plane from Philadelphia to Chicago today that money for school construction will be included in the legislation, since those projects are ready-to-go and, proponents argue, would help fuel job creation in cash-strapped states, as well as improve learning environments for kids.

No word yet on exactly what the school construction provisions might look like, but the House passed legislation earlier this year that would authorize money for states to make schools more energy efficient.

Posted by Alyson Klein at 4:30 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend

Last week, Michele and I promised you a full run-down on President-elect Barack Obama's education policy working group, which is headed up by Linda Darling-Hammond, a professor of education at Stanford. And here it is:

Geri Palast: A former assistant secretary of labor under President Clinton, she now leads the New York City-based Campaign for Fiscal Equity, which successfully fought a long-running legal battle to win more money for the state’s schools. Elizabeth Green over at the Gotham Schools blog explores Palast's and Robert Gordon's service on this working group from a "Team of Rivals" point of view.

Ian Bassin: Obama’s Florida policy director, he’s a Yale Law School grad sent from Chicago to run the Obama operation in that important state.

John Jackson: A former NAACP official, he now leads the Schott Foundation for Public Education, which works on graduation and other issues that affect black males. He’s also on an advisory council of the Alliance for Excellent Education, which works on high school reform issues.

David Kirp: A big pre-K advocate, he is a professor at the University of California-Berkeley's law school and its Goldman School of Public Policy. He is the author of The Sandbox Investment.

Robert Gordon: He is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a think tank in Washington founded by Obama's transition honcho, John Podesta. Gordon worked as a domestic policy adviser on the Kerry-Edwards presidential campaign in 2004, and also helped New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein on school budgeting and human-capital initiatives. You can check out Gordon’s ideas on how to fix the No Child Left Behind Act here.

Jeanne Century: She is the director of science education at the University of Chicago. She represented the Obama campaign at a forum sponsored by the American Association of Educational Publishers earlier this year.

Bob Shireman: He is the founder and president of the Institute for College Access and Success, a research and advocacy organization. He's considered a national expert on student lending programs.

Goodwin Liu is a law professor at the University of California-Berkeley, where he works alongside Chris Edley, one of Obama’s campaign advisers. He specializes in civil rights.

Ray Mabus: He is a former governor of Mississippi. Back when he was in the governor’s mansion, he sought to increase teacher pay and proposed an ambitious education reform plan.

Obama and Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. have also brought some of their Senate staff members along with them.

Steve Robinson worked as an education adviser in Obama’s Senate office and on the campaign, and Jon Vaupel handled education issues in Biden’s Senate office.

UPDATE: We left Kris Gutierrez off the list! To read about her, check out my colleague Mary Ann Zehr's post at her Learning the Language blog.

Posted by Michele McNeil at 5:02 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend